Arena Records Matched With Electrifying Moments in Washington

The Horse Heaven Round-Up is over for the season in Kennewick, let's take a look at what unfolded.

Cory Solomon completing his tie in the tie-down roping competition. / Lexi Gieck

As contestants make their way up to the Northwest for the last few weeks of money-making opportunities for the National Finals Rodeo, a majority of them made sure to stop at the Horse Heaven Round-Up in Kennewick, Wash., which had a payout of more than $200,000.

Results

Two-time NFR qualifier, a cowboy sitting No. 7 in the world, Cole Franks, won the Bareback Riding in Kennewick on Calgary Stampede’s Yukon Rambler. Not only did he win the short go, but he also led the average by three and a half points.

Justin Shaffer, a 30-year-old steer wrestler chasing his first NFR while sitting No. 14 in the world, would go home with two new titles. 11.6 seconds on three head would crown him the Horse Heaven Round-Up, Steer Wrestling Champion as well as first in the average. Sending this cowboy down the road at least $4,000 richer and that much closer to his gold buckle dreams.

Maddy Deerman and Jordi Edens tied the arena record with a 1.9-second run during the first round of the breakaway roping. But, it would be two-time NFBR, Josie Connor who would take the average and short-go win, with 4.1 seconds on two head. 

Your 2023 World Champion header, Tyler Wade, and two-time World Champion heeler Wesley Thorp took the short-go win with a time of 5-seconds flat. Andrew Ward and Kollin VonAhn were the average champions with 19.5 seconds on three head, sending them each hone with $4,944 to add to this year's earnings.  

During the first performance in the Lithia Arena Brody Cress rode for 89-points on Calgary Stampede’s Freedom Express. With Freedom Express being only 6 years old, after this match-up, there is no telling what kind of successful career is ahead for this young horse. It was on another Calgary Stampede horse by the name of Erotic Tango that Cress rode for 87 points to best the competition by half of a point in the short round. That effort put him on top of the average by 4.5 points. 

In the tie-down roping Heaven Meged with a 7.0-second run was named the short-go winner that beautiful Saturday night in Kennewick. Meged and Marty Yates would tie for the average with 22.9 seconds on three head. 

Marty Yates was named the All-around cowboy after competing in tie-down and team roping during his time at the Horse Heaven Round-Up. 

Kassie Mowry was a name that we heard a lot of in the Lithia Arena last week. Winning the first round, the average, and the short-go, Mowry deposited $9,316. She won every possible penny that was available in the barrel racing.

The bull riding was nothing short of amazing with Fulton Rutland being the first cowboy to ride both bulls in his time in Kennewick. He rode Outlawbuckers, Blue Magic for 89-points. Fulton, one of the only a few cowboys to cover Blue Magic in the last two years, provided the crowd electrifying moment and certainly one he’s not soon to forget. 

See the full results of the Horse Heaven Round-Up here.